| Limpkin Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Osprey White Ibis |
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 Birds in the order Falconiformes have
strong bills which are hooked at the tip and sharp on the edges; fleshy ceres (soft skin)
at the base of the bills; feet with sharp, curved talons; an opposable hind toe; and keen
vision. They are generally strong flyers and carnivores. Because they eat other animals,
Falconiformes are commonly called birds of prey or raptors. |
More specifically, they hunt during the day and thus are called diurnal birds of prey.
The bald eagle can fly 20 to 40 mph in normal flight and can dive at
speeds over 100 mph. Bald eagles can actually swim! They use an overhand movement of the
wings that is very much like the butterfly stroke. As for their diet bald eagles prefer
fish swimming close to the water's surface, small mammals, waterfowl, wading birds, and
carrion.
Bald eagles take four or five years to reach adult plumage. Adults at 4 to 5 yrs. are
identified by their white head and tail, solid brown body, and large, curved, yellow bill.
Juveniles have blotchy patches of white on their underside and tail. Life span for eagles
is up to 30 years in the wild, and longer in captivity. Eagles live and nest near coastlines, rivers, lakes, wet prairies, and coastal pine lands in North America from Alaska and Canada south into Florida and Baja, California. More than 80% of the bald eagle population in the southeastern United States is concentrated within the state of Florida.
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©2007 Wakulla County Tourist Development Council
The eyes of diurnal birds of prey are set on either side of the head, facing
forward.The eye is protected by an upper and lower eyelid as well as a nictitating
membrane. The nictitating membrane acts as a third eyelid, moving horizontally across the
eye starting at the inner corner. A bird can close the clear membrane to protect the eye
without losing vision. The membrane spreads fluid across the eye, keeping the eye moist.
Birds most likely use the membrane when flying on windy days or when dust and debris are
in the air. Most hawks, eagles, and falcons have a distinctive shelf or
"eyebrow" above and in front of the eye. The eyebrow is thought to shade the eye
from the sun and provide some physical protection. 
Eagles
usually start to breed at four to nine years of age. Bald eagles nest in coniferous trees
up to 82 feet high, and are monogamous. Eagles reuse nests, adding sticks and greenery
each year. The largest nest ever recorded was a bald eagle nest measuring 9.5 feet wide,
20 feet deep, and weighing more than 2.9 tons. 
